35% increase in number of children seriously injured in childcare services

There has been a 35% increase in the number of children who have been seriously injured in childcare services this year.

Tusla, the child and family agency, has also been notified of the deaths of two children who were attending early years services.

According to details released under the Freedom of Information, as of June 19, 116 children had been seriously injured while attending pre-school services this year.

The number is up significantly from 86 at the same point in 2018.

Five children have also gone missing in childcare services this year, which Suzanne Connolly, the chief executive of children's charity Barnardos, says is a huge concern.

"The sort of times where a child may go missing, if staff aren't paying due attention, is at transition times," said Ms Connolly.

"So say for example when it's very busy in the morning and all the parents are say dropping their children off. And if staff then aren't paying attention, with parents, a child may then wander off.

"Obviously the first thing you think about is...could the child be near traffic?

"Then your real worry is if you don't find that child quickly. It is concerning."

In March, a child died in hospital after being transferred from a full day-care service in the Dublin Mid-Leinster region.

In June, another death was reported. The child died in a full day-care service in the Dublin North East region.

Tusla said that since 2016 it has been raising awareness among providers of the need to report serious incidents, which may account for the increasing number, and that it considers children who go missing in early years services to be a serious breach of regulations.